Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.
Water 7 opening: Inferno by 9mm Parabellum Bullet (Berserk 2016 op)
"It's…It's so beautiful…!"
Even with Kokoro's description, the Straw Hats never expected Water 7 to be such an elegant city. The massive fountain shaped architecture was the forefront of the town, a water spouting monolith that loomed above the rest of the city. Winding canals crisscrossed across the entire town, with multiple ships bobbing serenely in the waves around the city. It truly was a sight to behold, one that must be seen by one's own eyes.
To the crew, it was like strolling into a waterborne castle of wonder.
"WHOA, Water 7 looks like so much fun!" Luffy cried out with excitement. The rest of the crew were also admiring the intricate architecture that made up this city on the water.
"Look at that…" Nami pointed "There are buildings underwater too!" sure enough, some structures seemed to be stacked atop already submerged houses, creating what looked like a growing city from the water.
"They must be ancient buildings, when new people came to this place they simply built above it." Gian thought.
"Hey, you there!" the crews thoughts were shaken by a voice calling out to them, they looked to see a small fishing boat pull up near them.
"You looking to get into Water 7? Then you have to use the canals. The entire city is connected by them. But that ship of yours look a bit big."
"We're looking for a guy called Iceburg, do you know how to get to him?" Gian asked.
"Iceburg, huh? You guys must be pirates. Yeah, we get a lot of you guys here, and from the looks of things it seems like you'd want your ship fixed up too?"
"I think the mast is cracking…" Zoro warned.
"That bad huh?" The fisherman commented "Well then, you're going to want to a docking area on the west side of the island. It's really close to Galley-La Company and it'll keep you all hidden from the Marines. Iceburg also happens to be the mayor of Water 7, but he should have many people under him that are more than capable of helping you all out."
"Alright! Thank you so much!"
Later, once they've docked, tasks were given out to the groups. Luffy, Usopp, Nami and Gian were to go to find a way to convert the gold they have to beri as well as actually find where they could get a shipwright. Sanji, Robin and Chopper went to buy more supplies, and Zoro was tasked with guarding the ship. And indeed, the quartet were now lugging bags of gold around, until a passerby told them of a more efficient manner of transportation.
"You know, I think the King Bulls are really cool looking. Nice and strong too." Gian commented; they found out that transportation through the canals of Water 7 were done with a gentle aquatic animal called a Bull, which looked like a cross between a fish and a horse (much to the confusion of Gian who pondered why they were called the name of a different animal when they look nothing like bulls). The one Gian happened to compliment just so happens to be a gargantuan one, its head leaning back and letting out a bellowing snort.
"Gian, that thing is way too big!" Nami scolded "Besides, they even said King Bulls are used to mainly haul cargo and heavy supplies, we just have to get through the canals with a few bags of gold!"
"But it would look so cool riding one of them…" Usopp and Luffy both mumbled sadly.
"No! We need to make sure the money we have is enough to pay for services here! Besides, a simple Yagura Bull is enough to carry us through all this." The navigator pointed to a much smaller creature, one that looked like a miniature version of the King Bull.
"Fine… but when people joke about how small the little guy is then you'd wish we went with the big one!" Gian claimed.
"I seriously doubt that." Nami sighed.
Still, the ride through the canals was peaceful, enjoyable even. The Bulls were sturdy creatures, even with the heavy sacks of gold it glided through the waterways with ease. They were told that the best place to convert their treasures to currency would be at the center of Water 7, thus this whole time they've immersed themselves with the scenery as well.
"WAHOOOO!"
Of course, those Bulls they rented were useful for a more entertaining task too.
"Seriously, they're going to tip over!" Nami complained as she and Gian trailed behind them, all while their immature captain and sniper sped through the canals in a tight race, spray water as they go.
"I guess it was a smart idea to take the gold from them then." Gian rubbed the back of his head "Though…"
"What is it?" Nami asked.
"…I just think my Yagura isn't comfortable carry all this gold."
"What? What are you saying? It's just one bag, I'm carrying most of it!"
"It's just that, you know how I really like animals, right? I really don't want them to strain themselves so much for our sake and that it'll be easier for this one if-"
"You just want to race too, don't you?" Nami accused.
"Hey! That's a very mean accusation I never mentioned anything like that!" Gian denied unconvincingly, one eye still gazing at the laughing youths before him.
"Geez, to think I'd hoped that I had someone that could take things seriously to come with us…" Nami sighed with irritation "Maybe next time, we're almost there."
The rest of the trip went without a hitch; the group even learned how they get to different levels of the city by means of water! With all the quicks of this city, from its sliding canals to people wearing masks, there was much to see.
"This city… it's really innovative in every aspect!" Usopp commented with wonder.
"I gotta agree." Gian nodded "If I wasn't already committed to you guys I'd move here permanently."
"You say that about every third island we visit!" Nami laughed "This is like, what, the 7th one you want to move to?"
"Your other islands are gonna be jealous!" Usopp grinned.
"You all look around and say this place isn't wonderful." Gian snorted, and that fact the two couldn't disagree on.
"WATER 7 IS SO MUCH FUN!" Luffy laughed. It was a great day indeed.
Eventually, they've made it to the first stop of their task.
"Seriously? Only 100 million beri for all this?" Nami shouted "We have so much gold!"
"Sorry lil lady" The clerk shrugged "But that's just how things are."
"Listen here," Nami leaned in real close before pointing at the Captain and First Mate "You see those two? They're very vicious pirates!" Their combined bounty is almost 200 million alone! Second of all, I'm willing to bet I know more about money than you do, so I really don't appreciate you trying to rip my friends off. Increase your offer, got that?"
The rather forward statement seemingly worked, as the clerk grinned sheepishly and hastily rewrote a new statement of 300 million beri. Nami nodded with approval.
"Now that's more like it!"
So with 3 suitcases loaded with cash, the quartet set off to the second step: finding Galley-La Company. All in all, the mood is very bright.
"Can you believe this? We're so close to getting a shipwright for Merry!" Nami beamed.
"I'm so happy! She's gonna be fixed soon!" Usopp agreed.
"And we managed to do all this in less than a day too!" Gian affirmed "We should be done this by the end of the day which means 6 more days of non-stop tourism!"
"I have a feeling everything is going to be juuuuust fine!" Luffy laughed merrily as he swung his arm around in circles with content. Of course, knowing Luffy, mundane things he do are all bound to end up in disaster. Case and point: losing grip on his case and sending it careening towards the water.
"AAAAAHHHH WHAT THE HELL?!" the three crewmates screamed and jumped after the fallen suitcase. It was for naught however as Luffy hastily extended his arm, catching it before it fell into the water. Nami and Usopp were rightfully pissed, and soon gave their captain an earful and more than enough bumps.
"BE MORE CAREFUL WITH THAT!"
"I…I'm showwry…"
"Ok, from now on, we're… wait, WHERE DID GIAN GO?!" anger quickly faded into horror as they noticed the bubbles floating, prompting yet another scream and a bit more struggling as they had to get their anchor of a First Mate to safety.
"I…I am going… to pound you into the ground…!" Gian cursed weakly as his eyes became swirls when the two finally pulled him out of the water.
"Ok that's it! Luffy, you are not allowed anywhere near this money until we find a shipwright!" Nami grumbled.
"Yeah… just give me a sec… once the strength returns to my bones I'll take a few suitcases." Gian panted.
"Hey, don't push yourself! I'll carry 2 so Nami only has to carry one!" Usopp volunteered.
"You sure? It won't take that long and I like lifting stuff."
"Hey, you just took a dip in water! And it'll be great to finish all of this today so we'll have plenty of time to look around right?" Usopp puffed out his chest "So just leave it to Captain Usopp to help you out when you're in a jam!"
Gian smiled softly "Well, I can't say no to a perky attitude. Thank Usopp, you're the bestest."
It was back to the shipyard docks after that. And it as busy as they expected. Ship captains coming from far and wide to get their vessels checked out, they were lucky to find one lone person. This man, very tall and lanky, had a baseball cap on and a vest that had the name Galley-La on its back. The Straw Hats figured this was the representative of the company Kokoro told them to see.
"Excuse me, are you from Galley-La Company?" Gian asked. The man turned and smiled, a big smile further impacted by his long nose.
"Oh hey, Usopp I didn't know you worked here!" Luffy commented.
"Uhhh… I'm standing right beside you…" The sniper sighed. Usopp's supposed doppelganger looked like him in many ways. Though they had differences, such as his nose being square shaped, it was easy to see the confusion.
"Hi, we're here to see Mr. Iceberg, do you know where he is?" Nami asked while handing him their letter.
"Oh, Iceberg-san's in a meeting right now, but I can see that this is a letter of recommendation from Kokoro-san! I'll just go take a look at it and give you all an estimate, which way is your ship?"
"The peninsula that way" Gian pointed "I should tell you that there's some rather-" he didn't finish, as the man immediately sprinted off, though that wasn't what drew attention. No, it was the fact that the lanky Usopp lookalike practically scaled an entire building on foot before somersaulting off the otherside. The quartet were all wide eyed and slack jawed at that display of acrobatics.
"Sh-Should we follow him?" Usopp gulped, before the group then heard chuckling behind them.
"Don't mind Kaku too much, he always does that." The voice belonged to a sharply dressed man with short purple hair and a short cut beard. His striped suit made the Straw Hats realize that he may be rather important. In his coat pocket rested a small white mouse, who waved at the 4 pirates. Beside him was a bespectacled blonde woman dressed in a similarly professional shortskirt.
"But he's a good mechanic and employee, being one of them from Dock 1. Why don't you come with me? I'll help you out." The man gestured "Kalifa, show them the way to Dock 1."
"Yes, Iceburg-san." The woman, Kalifa, nodded and gestured them to follow her.
Along the way, they realized the life that Iceberg had both the head of a carpenter company and the mayor of the city, though what they saw could be considered rather irresponsible. The mayor was rather lax in his work, casually answering phone calls and answering with short statements, then telling Kalifa to cancel appointment on the go. It was certainly quite peculiar.
"Is he really good at his job?" Luffy mumbled, and no one could answer for the secretary promptly swept her leg out at the rubber captain after he issued that statement.
"You should show some more respect for a man in his position."
"Hey, hey we didn't mean it like that!" Gian tried to diffuse the situation, but he didn't need to. Kalifa cooled down as quickly as she flared up.
"Sorry, my outburst was uncalled for. Though Iceberg-san has done some great work here, both as mayor and as a boss."
"They have no need to apologize." Iceberg sighed "Well, as of right now Kaku is already checking out your ship, I have plenty of time to spare so why don't I show you around?"
They could see the massive door that was labeled with a 1 on it, Dock 1 must be behind that door. Even here, the Straw Hats couldn't wait to take a look around.
However this serenity did not last long. Loud commotion soon alerted the group as they remember Usopp lagging behind with the two suitcases. They gasped as they saw the long nosed sniper get thrown to the ground as a group of armed thugs made off with their cash.
"Stop them!" Usopp cried out, and Gian and Luffy attempted to rush into action, but they were soon blocked by another man.
"Don't worry," the voice was stern and no nonsense "We'll handle this."
Indeed, it seems that someone had beat them to the punch and already leapt at the bandits. This man, a tall rugged blond with a blue jacket, landed on the small boat the thieves were using to make a getaway. When the thugs tried to retaliate the man simply revealed a new trick: two prehensile ropes that he swung around akin to whips. The attackers were defeated shortly, running off while swearing revenge. The man thus retrieving the briefcases.
"Phew, that was a close one!" Usopp sighed with relief "Hey man, thank you so- HEY WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" for their supposed savior had then taken the money himself and dashed off. Usopp chased after him.
All this was seen by the three remaining Straw Hats, all flabbergasted by what went down. Soon though, the man that spoke to them earlier returned with the blond rope user in tow, the latter held painfully by the ear , along with their sniper.
"OW GEEZ! " The blond man complained "Cut it out Lucci I was going to give the long nose back his money!"
Lucci turned out to be a tall muscular man wearing a black top hat and a white tank top in brown overalls. His gaze was cold and judging as he eyed down the prone man.
"We all know you're in debt, Paulie, but to think you take money that belongs to other people? That's a new form of low." Even more strange was the fact that the voice they heard wasn't coming from Lucci himself, rather it was a white dove perched on his shoulder.
"He's a ventriloquist…!" Nami realized.
"WOW, IT'S SO AMAZING THAT HE CAN TALK WITH HIS PIGEON!" Luffy and Usopp gasped.
"Ok, I got it! I said I already returned the money!" Paulie, the other man, growled,
"Paulie, please stop embarrassing our guests.…" Iceberg sighed.
"But-" Paulie tried to protest only to be smacked by his fellow carpenter.
"Hurry up and apologize!" the dove on Lucci's shoulder chirped out again.
"OW! What the hell you bastard?!" Paulie snarled and leapt back at Lucci, the two getting into a tussle. Lucci however, seemed to be avoiding everything with ease.
All the while Gian's eyes narrowed at the mute carpenter. Lucci had the looks of a foreman, but a feeling deep in his gut told Gian that there was more to this man than he thought.
"His eyes… something's not right about him…"
The fight lasted a short while more, before it ended with the two breaking it up. Lucci then walked up to Luffy and co. and bowed.
"Sorry you all had to see that, you see Paulie here has a gambling problem so he often asks for loans from other people, only that he's complete trash at that hobby. He'll be giving you your money back now."
"Ok Ok, I never was going to take it in the first place, stupid pigeon bastard no need to lay out all the details…" Paulie grumbled before handing them back their briefcases. It was then he laid eyes on Nami.
"WHY ARE YOU DRESSED SO IMMODESTLY YOU SHAMELESS WOMAN?!"
"Ehhh?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" the navigator snapped back.
"Paulie please calm down." Iceberg's secretary sighed.
"YOU TOO KALIFA! STOP SHOWING SO MUCH SKIN!"
"Wow… He's weird…" Luffy grumbled.
"Yeah… is anyone but the mayor sort of normal here?" Gian sweatdropped.
Iceberg chuckled "They're idiots, but they're good workers. They're both very accomplished mechanics that know what they're doing.
"Still, I didn't think those guys would get so brazen to start robbing people in broad daylight." The mayor said.
"Who's they?" Gian asked.
"The Franky Family." Kalifa explained "They are a group of ship dismantlers that live in the area, but they were once bounty hunters. While they've kept the city safe, they've also caused a lot of problems for the people here."
"They don't look that strong, we'll handle them the next time we see them." Luffy promised.
"They might look that way, but they're stronger than you think. Especially Franky, their leader." Iceberg said "Don't underestimate him. But enough about that, I'll show you the rest of Dock 1."
The Dock was behind huge panel doors that creaked open, and what a sight indeed. The entire area was bustling with work, groups of mechanics and carpenters hauling materials needed for ships.
"SO COOL!" Luffy and Usopp exclaimed.
"This shipyard must employ hundreds!" Gian gasped.
"And this is only one of many." Iceberg smiled. Everyone they passed greeted the mayor with warmth; it's clear Iceberg is very popular with them.
"Man, everyone sure do love him." Gian noted.
"Of course," Kalifa explained "Iceberg, before he became mayor, was a ship builder himself once. It was him that united 7 other companies that formed Galley-La today. Even now, with his duties increasing, he's not lost his passion for ships."
"Wow, then he's an amazing shipwright!" Luffy grinned "Hey Mister Mayor, you should join my crew!"
"YOU CAN'T JUST ASK HIM THAT!" Kalifa shouted.
Iceberg only laughed at that.
"I'm gonna have to turn you down. As mayor of Water 7 I can't just go as a I please." He gestured to the entire shipyard "Though, as you can see, we have many talented carpenters here. Try and ask any of them if they wish to sail with a pirate crew."
But before anyone could say anything, a landing sound nearby alerted the mayor. Kaku, the acrobatic man from earlier, had returned from his checkup.
"Hey, it's him!" Luffy recognized him "Hey, how much is it going to cost to fix up Merry?"
Kaku looked at him before speaking "I'm going to ask you to stay calm about this."
"Uh oh… that sounds expensive." Gian groaned "Just lay it on us, how much dough are we looking at here."
"Actually, I think money is the least of your worries right now."
"The truth is, your ship is simply way too damaged. I'm sorry, but we can't fix it."
And despite the bustle of activity, that was all drowned out by what the Straw Hats heard.
"W-What are you saying…" Nami whispered.
"From the looks of it, I can tell you've all been through a lot." Kaku explained "I'm surprised it managed to make it this far into the Grand Line in that condition. However, we simply can't fix it, not even with every foreman in this shipyard."
"B-But we were just sailing fine yesterday!" Luffy protested.
"It's one of those cases isn't it?" Paulie said with a solemn voice "The keel of the ship, it's damaged?" Kaku nodded.
"Look... if you think it's too little money, then… then we'll go make more!" Gian tried to talk "We're all good with our hands too, or at least we can learn! Maybe we'll work for you guys?"
"You're not listening to us, it's the keel that's broken." Paulie sighed "that's the structure that supports the entire ship, if that gets broken then the entire ship will fall to pieces soon after. Even if we could do any repairs the most she'll last is one more island, and that's being generous."
"But why can't you just fix it? Get a new one?" Gian shouted.
"Because no two ships are alike." Iceberg chimed in "Each ship starts with the keel, and materials are added to it until it forms a ship. The keel of yours is one of a kind, we can't just replace it."
"Then build a new Going Merry! Build her from scratch!" Luffy cried.
"That's impossible too," this time Lucci's bird was the one who spoke "As they've already told you no two ships are alike. We can build it as close as we can, but the measurements, materials, and structure will never be the same, it can never be the same ship again. She may look the same as your old ship, but in your hearts you know she's not, wouldn't you?"
Nami placed a hand over her mouth "Then… Then does that mean it's the end of Merry?"
"In any case, I think your best option would be to buy a new ship." Iceberg said "Since you have the money, you can get an even better one that will-"
"NO!" Luffy shouted "OUR SHIP IS THE GOING MERRY! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT YOU CAN'T FIX HER?! WE WERE JUST FINE THIS MORNING, SHE'S BEEN WITH US FOR SO LONG SO HOW CAN YOU SAY SHE CAN'T KEEP SAILING?!"
"Kid, I've been building ships longer than you've been alive." Iceberg stated "Each and every ship, each and every captain, I know their feelings and they are not unlike yours. It's because of this exact reason that I am recommending that you buy a new ship. Your love for those you consider important to you is commendable, but that stubbornness will not last you long. Can you really call yourself a captain if you can't make decisions like that?" that was the statement that made Luffy pause.
Iceberg turned away "Here, I won't rush you. Take as long as you like to decide. You have the money for a new ship, when you come back I'll build a top of the line model for you." with that Kalifa reported that there were people here to see him, the Galley-La foremen thus told the group of pirates that World Government people were here, and ushered them into hiding behind a stack of wood.
"I don't believe this…" Nami whispered "Merry, she can't just be-"
"She won't!" Luffy grumbled "Merry's strong! She's carried us this far!"
"Still… those guys have been doing this job for a long time, and they don't have anything to gain if they're trying to rip us off." Gian sighed "What if… What if there's really a chance that this is Merry's final days as our comrade?"
"Usopp is going to be devastated." Nami cried.
"Speaking of which, where did Usopp go?"
The sniper, during that entire conversation, was nowhere to be seen. Nor was he present during the entire argument with the foremen. The three suitcases of money was left behind, so the crew thought he was probably off exploring the shipyard.
"I'm guessing he got lost, maybe its best he doesn't hear it yet, he's closest to Merry." Nami said.
"You're probably right." Gian agreed.
"Hmmmm, that's weird." Luffy frowned.
"What is?" and Luffy showed Gian one of the suitcases.
"These are supposed to be full of money right? Why is it so light?"
"Really?" Gian arched an eye "If they have 100 million in them they should have some weight- huh? He's right, these are way too light!"
Hastily they cracked the suitcase open, and the truth was chilling.
"WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?!" Nami shouted.
"THIS ONE IS EMPTY TOO!" Luffy shouted.
Gian turned around frantically. Usopp was the one that interacted with the two suitcases of cash the most, and just as they found that 200 million beri were missing, the sniper was also nowhere to be seen.
"Has anybody seen a long nose fella? No, not Kaku! Our guy's about his height!" Gian shouted, pointing at Luffy "He's wearing goggles and he has a small sling shot!"
"Long nose huh?" One of the foremen pondered "I do recall earlier I saw someone like that leave with a group of people."
"What? Where did they go?
"I'm not sure, but it seemed weird. Those guys looked like they just grabbed him and ran."
A chill passed over his body. Nami and Luffy both looked at him in shock.
"Paulie…" Gian croaked out "Where's the Franky Family right now?"
"Hmm? Why are you-?"
"WHERE ARE THEY?!"
"Their base is located on the northeast coast of Water 7. It's in the middle of a scrapyard. If you're looking for them, that's where they'll be." the carpenter explained.
Nami locked eyes with her captain and first mate "Go, Go find the others! I'll look for Usopp!" no words needed to be said as they immediately dashed off, their day taking a sharp turn for the worst.
Later:
"Faster Luffy!" Gian shouted.
"I'm right behind you!"
The streets were a blur as they ran, Gian in particular having little patience. In his head, his thoughts were racing fast, but one thing was constantly on his mind.
"Hey, you just took a dip in water! And it'll be great to finish all of this today so we'll have plenty of time to look around right? So just leave it to Captain Usopp to help you out when you're in a jam!"
"Well, I can't say no to a perky attitude. Thank Usopp, you're the bestest."
Gian gritted his teeth "Back then… If I hadn't messed up, if I hadn't made that slip…!"
It was too late to think these things now, but to Gian it didn't change the fact that his mishap could've resulted in this. And now his nakama was in potential danger, he had to move fast!
"Gian, be careful!"
The warning came too late as the two tripped over one of the higher ledges, tumbling through the air almost landing in more water. Fortunately, this time there was no dip in the water, two pairs of arms caught them before anything.
"Where are you guys going?!" Sanji snapped. Gian looked up to see him, Zoro and Chopper all having a rather somber look. Robin was nowhere to be seen, a concerning fact, as he figured she'd probably be here too. "Another Problem for another time" he thought.
"You guys…" Luffy's voice was threatening to crack "We-"
"Don't tell us, we already know everything." Zoro sighed "This day just keeps throwing things at us."
"…Did you guys find Usopp?" Gian gritted.
"Nami-san did…" Sanji closed his eyes "It… wasn't pretty. She's with Merry guarding the remaining money, but she found him first."
"And that's not all of it too!" Chopper wept "He… even with all of his injuries he still went and…"
The reindeer pointed to the ground, and Gian's heart sank into his stomach. They were small, but clear as day: drops of scarlet leading in a direction. Usopp's blood.
There could've only been one reason why he went.
Gian's breathing was heavy, no one said anything.
Before a loud crack could be heard, the group turned to see the Kaiju-Zoan user's eyes shadowed as he clenched his fist into a nearby wall, his fingers leaving visible cracks.
"Luffy… are we going?" his eyes, amber colored and pupils like slits, spoke only one thing.
"We already know where they are." Luffy's voice, much colder than before, traveled; he was already walking towards the trail of blood.
"Yes…" Gian growled "Yes we do…"
The walk to the Franky House was done with no ones, only them looking forwards. But there was no mistaking it, the large colorful neon building that loomed over a desolate landscape of scrap metal and wood.
And outside, just a few steps from the door, laid a broken figure of a person.
"Chopper… how is he?" Luffy mumbled. The reindeer did a few more checkups and looked back.
"He's heavily wounded, but I can treat him."
Usopp was completely unconscious, there wasn't a part of him that wasn't bruised. A mix of tears and blood stained his face; the wounds he was dealt weren't just physical.
"Usopp…" Luffy glared at the house "Just wait for a little while longer."
A flair of light shows Gian's flaming aura burst to life, swirling around him before taking the flaming visage of his Full Transformation seemingly extending from his body.
Zoro said nothing as he tied his bandana around his head.
Sanji calmly lit a cigarette.
And Chopper, full of rage, snorted as he morphed into Heavy Point.
Luffy simply cracked his knuckles as they walked in unison towards the house.
"Just wait for us… until we burn that house to the ground."
Back at the ship, Nami stood watching the direction the others went off to. A pair of pistols were strapped to her belt, her mind only filled with one thing.
"I'm sorry Nami… they took everything! I-I tried to stop them… but I'm too weak…"
"I let everyone down, I can't face them anymore…! I was supposed to protect the money…! Merry was finally going to be fixed, but I blew it! H-How could I be such a failure…?!"
"Everyone…" She whispered harshly "Make sure you beat up each and every one of them…"
The inside of the Franky House was filled with mirth, the group of bounty hunters blissfully unaware of the 5 pirates about to the bring the roof down on them, to them they have plenty to celebrate, but then again celebration never went too long without here.
When one of them went outside to relieve himself, he was the one that spotted the 5. Luffy's barely contained rage was evident, but it didn't hit the man yet.
"Huh? Who are you guys supposed to be?"
And the music shut off abruptly as the large man was launched into the room with a single punch!
"What the-? Who the hell are these guys?" one of the bounty hunters shouted.
"Oi, that's 'Straw Hat' Luffy! These guys are the Straw Hats!"
One of them, a bigger man in a suit of armor, cracked a grin "So, I take it you guys are here to get your money back then? Don't you know where you are? You're completely surrounded and there's only 5 of you!"
"But now that you're here, it's a good day! We had a good time with 200 million beri, why don't we add some more? That long nosed wimp sure didn't hold anything to us, such a weakling has to make his captain look bad!"
And that was when Luffy charged, his fists cocked striking the man with the ferocity of 10 men. The bounty hunter didn't even get a chance to retaliate before he collapsed to the ground.
"H-Holy-! Hold on a second! At least hear us-!"
One fireball from Gian was enough to send a message, as Zoro unsheathed his swords, that message became very clear:
There was no room for talk here.
"F-FIRE THE CANNONS! BLOW THEM UP!"
"THEY'RE JUST 5 PEOPLE! HOW HARD CAN THIS BE?!"
It was a beatdown, pure and relentless. Zoro's swords singlehandedly cut through the iron cannons, while Sanji's kicks sent anyone trying to flee flying. A loud bellow sounded as multiple bounty hunters were sent into the air by a charging Chopper. The Straw Hats were here to get revenge, and they weren't going to stop until the message went through.
"Gomu Gomu no… Cannon!"
"Santoryu: Yasha Karasu!"
"Party Table Kick Course!"
"Roseo Colonnade!"
The 5 simply mowed down everyone they saw, nothing could be done to quell their rage. Back into the corner, the bounty hunter that Luffy struck earlier tried one last plea.
"W-Wait! The money you guys are looking for! We spent it already! Our boss Franky already took it all, he's long gone!" the man shouted "So no matter how much you rage, you never get that money back! It's-"
POW
"Do you really think" Luffy snarled "That this is still about the money?"
"You don't get to talk anymore." Zoro glared.
"By the time we're done here…" Chopper growled out.
"…You won't even have bones left in your body." Sanji finished.
"RAAAAHHH! GET THEM! THEY'RE JUST 5 PEOPLE!" and the mayhem continued as the 4 Straw Hats laid into the group. While this was happening, Gian headed straight for the bounty hunter that talked the most. Multiple thugs leapt to stop him, but he swept them aside with a single punch, the fiery aura still billowing around him. The bounty hunter hastily pointed his sword at him, but Gian caught it with a single hand, where a clench of the fist managed to crush the tip into splinters.
"You… What is your name…?"
"G-Go to he-" the words didn't come out as Gian's fist clenched around his throat.
"You are all so fortunate I left Atom Splitter back on the ship… Otherwise I might not be able to hold back from killing you all, and others would never like that…" the bounty hunter cried in pain as Gian slammed him down, his billowing aura was enough to cause any other thug trying to help him pause in fear.
"I'll ask you again. WHAT is your name?"
"Z-Zambai…!" the man croaked out.
"Well, Zambai, let me tell you a little thing about the guy you just so happen to beat up." Zambai winced as Gian practically spat each word out.
"Usopp is many things: A liar, a scaredy cat, and a big mouth. Really he could be a handful at times." If Zambai wasn't scared out of his wits, he would've retorted something back, but one look at the slit-like orange fire that the Kaiju-Zoan displayed was enough to cause him to reconsider.
"But more than that, he's someone who is helpful, someone who is loyal, and someone, above anyone else, that you can depend on when you need to!"
The thugs around him all cried out in fear, by now most of their numbers are already knocked out by the 4 other pirates, but the sight of this 5th pirate, blue energy coursing through him as his body began to lengthen and grow, skin darkening and becoming more reptilian. His face morphing into a sharp toothed maw.
"Everything he does is to help those he consider his friends… and you couldn't even allow him to do that. Well I'll tell you something, remember when we said we'd break all your bones? Well, I'm going to make sure you won't even have a house to stay in after all this"
"P-Please…! Have-GAHHH!" Zambai never finished as he was slammed into the ground.
"Please don't go there… I'm already disgusted enough of you as I am. Now begone, and may I never see your faces ever again."
The rage was pure, and bright flashes of blue light erupted from Gian's body. This was the final act, a final last display of what happens when you mess with the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Atom…"
"…Grand Flare…"
And the entire Franky House was engulfed in blue light.
It was dusk when the Straw Hats were sitting in front of the now demolished base of the Franky Family. Not a word was said, and no one was in the mood to talk.
Flickers of flames still lit the wreck; the Straw Hats ensured no one was seriously hurt; despite Gian's last display he had the power to know when he's killed a person or not, and this was one of the time he made sure that it was the latter. The Straw Hats never let the assault of one of their own go easily, but they were not killers who would kill indiscriminately. Even they have standards.
"Should we go after Franky?" Zoro finally said.
"Those guys said that even they didn't know where he went." Sanji said "Maybe we should just wait until he comes back."
"Sanji's right," Gian breathed out; back then, the power he felt was unlike any time he's used his Devil Fruit before. This time, the pure rage and emotions he felt was surging, exhilarating even. All he could think of was striking back against those who hurt Usopp. Now that he's calmed down somewhat, he looked back on that with more mixed feelings, but he could swear that he felt something else, something that caused him to beg for more destruction…
But that will have to wait, for they have more important things to take care of "We don't know where Franky is, and Usopp is hurt. We should wait until he comes back, then get payback." He looked off into the distance.
"Besides, where's Robin? Wasn't she with you guys?"
"Robin-chan was with us, but she disappeared when we weren't looking." Sanji stated "She's strong though, she'll be fine."
"I know that, that's not what I'm worried about though." Gian sighed, now a new sinking feeling he had was growing inside of him. He pushed it away; that problem would have to be dealt with later "Maybe she'll be back later."
"Guys, I patched Usopp up… let's carry him back to the ship." Chopper wiped some sweat away from his brow.
"Yeah… let's go back."
Luffy during all this time was looking off into the distance, deep in thought. When he heard his name he turned back.
"Guys… I've decided." He sighed, his heart heavy "We're going to get a new ship."
The others didn't speak a single word. They all know what this means: it was time to say goodbye to Merry.
And they know Usopp would not like that.
And little did they know, that the events of this day would lead to a far bigger confrontation.
A confrontation that would impact all of them.
A/N: After almost 4 months, Godzilla King of the Monsters brought the inspiration back to me to deliver yet another chapter! I really don't have a whole lot to say about this, just that I wanted to make sure something gets delivered. Considering how emotional things get with these two arcs and that's something I want to try and not cheapen, so I'm sticking close to canon I think for maybe another chapter or so, as I really don't think there needs to be any big changes for the next little while.
G: Day 120… KP360 is still MIA, I don't even know the meaning of anything now. What is life? What is love? Will baby not hurt me? Or is the very act of not hurting me a method of hurt?
Oh yeah… and he's here. Gotta make sure he's sane after so long. Up and at em Gian! Time to review!
So I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. I know it's not much considering my absence, but I'll get the next one up whenever I can! Until then, I'll have to play more Duel Links.
G: Wait, I thought you ditched that game?! Why did you go back to it?
I wanted Red Eyes and the actual card game is too difficult to get into now so that's all I got.
G: Fair.
Responses to Reviews:
To SolanaLeonhart:
Yeah these are big arcs to adapt I hope you enjoy this chapter! I think they're fan favorite arcs for many people, myself included!
To Chance Green G King:
Don't worry, Jet Jaguar will come in to team up with Gian in the future, in a really important battle. In fact, the role I have planned for him is actually quite big.
GY: And I'm now aware of this response section. I hope I can live up to expectations
G: Yup, you'll have fans now too so get used to it.
To 64thVanSull
G: So we'll finally know who he is… Franky, I've found you at last! OUR BATTLE WILL BE LEGENDARY.
Dude… you'll all get along later, so that's pretty far from what happens.
G: Wow spoilers much?
Not to the people who've already read this manga.
And as for writing advice, I'd say just try to make your story and OC have unique elements as possible. Have it follow the series, but have enough with your character that sets him apart from the Other Straw Hats, as well as give him a purpose that you can work into the story. I think, I'm not the best at giving advice.
To Hannibal the Bahamut:
You gotta watch at least some of the film series then. It's a pretty good time.
G: For the record he actually doesn't watch WWE, he didn't get to Canada until he was 5 and he wasn't familiar with the media here so for most of his early years he never got into Pro Wrestling.
I hate to admit it but I missed out a lot.
G: Poser.
To Darkmaster100000:
How.
G: Let the guy enjoy their own thing.
Fine, everyone's entitled to their opinion.
To Squeegeewing:
GY: The monster I am based on certainly is quite cool.
I really think I made that reveal too obvious, though I'm sure most people already figured it out.
To Lelouch Strife:
G: I love Emilia
Die.
To abciluvpie:
G: What's Grape Ape?
Drugs
G: How do you know that?
I don't know but use drugs as the answer to everything.
To Johnny Spectre:
Will you?
G: Ok now you're just toying with them.
To RaidenTensho:
If I could, I'd use all of them.
G: Have you even listened to them before?
No but if it fits then it sits.
G: That's… not how you use that phrase…
To Kaiju judgement:
Ghidorah's Kaiju Zoan is already in the story, but we won't see Gideon's Full Transformation until later.
To Patricia Louise A. Pena:
This will be revealed by the 4th chapter of Water 7.
To Camp Piilow:
Yeah, since Gian came first, but Zoro still plays just as an important role and as their resident badass.
To C.S Skywalker:
G: Hey don't sweat it, KP still hasn't reviewed your latest chapter either.
I'm getting to it! It's just-
G: And here we go.
I'm glad you like the direction it's going so far, skipping the Davy Back Fight was something I debated for a while, but ultimately I decided it won't contribute much to how I want the story to go (with more Kaiju and stuff). And trying to write from Robin's perspective was a huge Challenge, I'm not especially great at writing emotional things so I hope my attempts at it so far hasn't been that cringy.
G: you like ramen too huh? That reminds me about something KP, isn't your-
Stop talking.
To Matt:
I'm back.
G: I PLAY POKEMON GO EVERY-
No
To E:
G: PFFFT HIS NAME IS E
That meme died years ago.
It literally only came out last year…
I'm really not good at keeping things concealed so I figured you may already know the answer but I will tell you to wait, as to be fair to others.
To StormMaster567:
Again, the revelation may shock you.
And that's all for now! We'll see you next time!
G: Leave a review or KP will never pull that White Stone of Ancients he needs for his Blue Eyes Deck!
RNGesus already fucks me to begin with…